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United Way asks county to allow ARPA funds to buy building for shelter and rapid rehousing support
Summary
United Way told council it seeks to use remaining ARPA allocation to purchase and renovate a building for a longer‑term shelter and programmatic services, leveraging prior planning grants and rapid rehousing partnerships; county staff said legal guidance from Treasury/NACO is pending.
Holly Furr of United Way updated the Lancaster County Council about ARPA‑funded shelter and rehousing work and asked the council to permit use of remaining ARPA funds to purchase a building for a programmatic shelter.
Furr said United Way’s warming center served about 55 clients over the last winter season and that the organization is a subgrantee for rapid rehousing slots through the Catawba region; she said the owner has agreed to a reduced sale price, an appraisal is complete and a local attorney is ready to facilitate closing. “The scope of the project is not going to change programmatically,” Furr said, adding that code changes approved April 24 removed a major commercial fire‑suppression cost driver and allowed a residential sprinkler system option.
County staff and counsel said they are consulting NACO and Treasury about ARPA use and recommended that council not take final action until legal review is complete. Staff noted the possibility of a local match for other grants and suggested follow‑up steps once guidance arrives. Council members emphasized safety, program rules around resident selection, and the need for clear legal confirmation that ARPA funds may be used for the purchase and long‑term use as proposed.
United Way representatives said the shelter would operate as a program with screening and time‑limited stays (typical program length three to six months) and stressed ties to rapid rehousing and transitional housing providers for client transitions.
